An algorithm for mapping the catheter tip position on a fluorograph to the three-dimensional position in magnetic resonance angiography volume data

This paper proposes an algorithm which maps the position of a catheter tip on a fluorograph to the 3D position in magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) data. This algorithm was assessed for its accuracy. We designed an algorithm consisting of a registration step and a recognition step. The registration step registers MRA and fluorography data using a digital subtraction angiography (DSA) image. The recognition step recognizes the position in the MRA data corresponding to the catheter tip position on a fluorograph. We checked the accuracy of the recognition step by employing an artificial data set consisting of 3D image data (64 x 64 x 64 matrix) and its projection image (92 x 92 matrix) and the accuracy of the registration step with the aid of three of the 3D time-of-flight MRA data sets (256 x 256 matrix and 60 slices) and their projection images in the form of DSA images. The accuracy of the recognition step depended upon that of the registration. When there was no misregistration, all of the mean errors were less than 0.2 mm. The mean errors of the registration step were 0.273 mm and 0.226 mm, respectively, for the longitudinal shift along the X and Y axes, 0.478 degrees, 1.203 degrees and 0.208 degrees, respectively, for the rotation angles around the X, Y and Z axes and 0.020 times for the magnification. The mean image error between the projection image of the registered MRA data and that of the MRA data which were employed as the DSA image was 0.034 mm.     

Infection of macaques with chimeric simian and human immunodeficiency viruses containing Env from subtype F

Chimeric simian and human immunodeficiency viruses (SHIVs) are useful for investigating the pathogenicity of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) and to develop an anti-HIV-1 vaccine. We attempted to construct SHIVs containing Env from various subtypes, because almost all SHIVs which have been reported so far have Env from HIV-1 that belongs to subtype B. Two infectious SHIVs containing Env from two strains of HIV-1, CMR304 and CMR306, which belong to subtype F and A, respectively, were newly obtained. These SHIVs essentially showed a coreceptor usage and a neutralization pattern that were similar to those of the parental HIV-1s. In macaque PBMC, SHIVcmr304 replicated with kinetics similar to that of prototypic SHIV-NM-3rN with HIV-1 NL432 Env, but SHIVcmr306 replicated poorly. Inoculation of four rhesus macaques with SHIVcmr304 resulted in an increase of plasma viral load in all the macaques, though viral RNA copies were 100-fold lower than that in the infection with NM-3rN. This SHIV containing Env from HIV-1 subtype F will be a valuable source for the analysis of HIV-1 subtype F and the evaluation of vaccine candidates as a genetically divergent challenge virus.     

A case of the right subclavian artery as the last branch of the aortic arch in the human fetus and a new classification on these variations

An anomalous case of the right subclavian artery arising from the aortic arch as the last branch, in which the first branch was the right common carotid, the second the left common carotid and the third the left subclavian artery, was found in a 10 months human fetus among 173 fetuses. The right subclavian artery arose from the posterior wall of the aortic arch at the level of the Th4 and passed obliquely between the esophagus and the thoracic vertebrae. The right and the left vertebral arteries arising from the subclavian arteries on the same side entered the transverse foramen of the C6 of each side. This case belonged to type G of Adachi's classification and as well type 5 of Holzapfel's. The present authors wish to offer a new trial classification on these variations, including the origins and numbers of the vertebral arteries, by investigating many original reports in Japanese, as follows: 1) A new classification is fixed on the basis of the type G and H of Adachi-Williams et al.-Nakagawa in the classification of the branching types of the aortic arch. The type G represents that the right common carotid, the left common carotid, the left subclavian and the right subclavian arteries arise from the aortic arch in this order. The type H represents that the bicarotid trunk, the left subclavian and the right subclavian arteries arise from the aortic arch. 2) When the left vertebral artery arising from the aortic arch is found in the type G and H, "C" is prefixed G or H, as type CG, type CH. 3) When the right vertebral artery arising from the right common carotid artery is found, a prime mark, "', is put on G or H, as type G', type H'. 4) In order to represent a compound type of the above 2) and 3), both "C" and "' are put, as type CG', type CH'. 5) When the bilateral vertebral arteries arising from the respective subclavian artery are found in the above 2), 3) and 4) "2" postfixed "C" and the prime mark "', as type G'2, type C2G, type CG'2, type C2G', type C2G'2, type H'2, type C2H, type CH'2, type C2H', type C2H'2. According to the above new classification, Adachi's type G can be arranged into 18 branching types. This classification may be helpful and sufficient to provide more than 100 cases of the type G and H reported on Japanese.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Altered synthesis of interferon-γ and expression of interferon-γ receptor by peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with IgA nephropathy and non-IgA proliferative glomerulonephritis

Previously we reported disease-specific interaction between interferon- (IFN-) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) in patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN), suggesting the existence of unusual T cell behavior in this disease. In the present study, we investigated characteristic synthesis of interferon- (IFN-) and expression of IFN- receptor (IFN-R) in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from patients with IgAN and other chronic proliferative glomerulonephritis (PGN). Heparinized peripheral blood samples were obtained from 38 patients with chronic mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis (CGN; including 24 with IgA nephropathy) and 20 healthy controls. PBMC were isolated by gradient centrifugation and fragments were cultured in Iscove's modified Dulbecco's medium (IMDM) supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum (FCS) for 72 hr. IFN- concentrations in supernatants were evaluated by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Other parts of PBMC pellets were reacted with anti-human IFN-R monoclonal antibody and FITC-labeled anti-mouse second antibody for analysis of IFN-R expression on these cells by FACScan. The remaining PBMC were fractionated into CD4⁺ T cells, CD8⁺ T cells, B cells, NK, cells and macrophages using the MACS cell sorting system. The isolated cells were evaluated for IFN- or IFN-R mRNA expression by the semiquantitative RT-PCR method.In vitro IFN- synthesis was enhanced in patients with CGN, and NK cells were revealed to be responsible for such enhancement. On the other hand, the expression of IFN-R on macrophages was suppressed in CGN patients. These results suggest that impairment of regulation of the IFN- system might be involved in the development of CGN.     

Inhibition of methamphetamine-induced hyperlocomotion in mice by clorgyline, a monoamine oxidase-a inhibitor, through alteration of the 5-hydroxytriptamine turnover in the striatum

The psychomotor stimulant methamphetamine (METH) has been shown to cause specific behaviors such as hyperlocomotion in rodents. Pretreatment of repeated s.c. administration of clorgyline (1 mg/kg, once per day for 5 consecutive days), a monoamine oxidase (MAO)-A inhibitor, blocked hyperlocomotion induced by a single i.p. administration of METH (1 mg/kg) in male ICR mice, without any effect on spontaneous locomotion. The blockade was also observed when mice were pretreated with a single administration of clorgyline (1 mg/kg, s.c.), without potentiating hyperlocomotion and rearing induced by a single challenge of METH at the range of 0.5-2 mg/kg (i.p.). In contrast, single or repeated pretreatment of selegiline (0.3 mg/kg, s.c.), a MAO-B inhibitor, had no effect on METH-induced hyperlocomotion. Clorgyline pretreatment, both single and repeated, altered the effects of single METH challenges on apparent 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin) turnover in the region of the striatum and accumbens. These results suggest that clorgyline tends to oppose METH-induced hyperlocomotion through alteration of the serotonergic system in the region of the striatum and accumbens.     

Usefulness of "essential laboratory tests" for the establishment of the initial diagnosis in new outpatients]

"Essential laboratory tests" advocated by Japan Society of Clinical Pathology were simultaneously performed with the history taking of the present illness and the physical examination in 1,026 new patients visited the outpatient unit of Comprehensive Medicine, National Defense Medical College. We have analyzed the usefulness of the "essential laboratory tests" for the establishment of the initial diagnosis in evaluable 750 patients by comparing the diagnosis made only by the history taking and the physical examination (tentative initial diagnosis) with that included the results of these laboratory tests. The "essential laboratory tests" had contributed to remarkably increased incidences of metabolic and endocrine diseases, liver or biliary tract diseases, renal and urinary tract diseases and anemia after the application of these tests. The initial diagnoses of 61 patients were successfully established by the addition of the "essential laboratory tests" among 157 cases of which tentative initial diagnoses remained undetermined. These tests confirmed the tentative diagnoses in 78 patients, while 78 tentative diagnoses were negated and corrected after evaluation of the results of these tests. Furthermore, the diagnostic tests such as CRP and leukocyte count were useful for the estimation of the nature or degree of seriousness of the disease in 57 patients. In addition, other diseases not related to the patient's chief complaint could be detected in 238 patients (303 total number of diseases) by these tests. These results indicate the usefulness of the "essential laboratory tests" not only for the establishment of more accurate initial diagnosis but also for the screening of the "hidden" diseases such as hyperlipidemia and liver dysfunction.     

Computational studies on acquisition and adaptation of ocular following responses based on cerebellar synaptic plasticity

To investigate how cerebellar synaptic plasticity guides the acquisition and adaptation of ocular following response (OFR), a large-scale network model was developed. The model includes the cerebral medial superior temporal area (MST), Purkinje cells (P cells) of the ventral paraflocculus, the accessory optic and climbing fiber systems, the brain stem oculomotor network, and the oculomotor plant. The model reconstructed temporal profiles of both firing patterns of MST neurons and P cells and eye movements. Model MST neurons (n = 1,080) were set to be driven by retinal error and exhibited 12 preferred directions, 30 preferred velocities, and 3 firing waveforms. Correspondingly, each model P cell contained 1,080 excitatory synapses from granule cell axons (GCA) and 1,080 inhibitory synapses. P cells (n = 40) were classified into four groups by their laterality (hemisphere) and by preferred directions of their climbing fiber inputs (CF) (contralateral or upward). The brain stem neural circuit and the oculomotor plant were modeled on the work of Yamamoto et al. The initial synaptic weights on the P cells were set randomly. At the beginning, P cell simple spikes were not well modulated by visual motion, and the eye was moved only slightly by the accessory optic system. The synaptic weights were updated according to integral-differential equation models of physiologically demonstrated synaptic plasticity: long-term depression and long-term potentiation for GCA synapses and rebound potentiation for inhibitory synapses. We assumed that maximum plasticity was induced when GCA inputs preceded CF inputs by 200 ms. After more than 10,000 presentations of ramp-step visual motion, the strengths of both the excitatory and inhibitory synapses were modified. Subsequently, the simple spike responses became well developed, and ordinary OFRs were acquired. The preferred directions of simple spikes became the opposite of those of CFs. Although the model MST neurons were set to possess a wide variety of firing characteristics, the model P cells acquired only downward or ipsilateral preferred directions, high preferred velocities and stereotypical firing waveforms. Therefore the drastic transition of the neural representation from the population codes in the MST to the firing-rate codes of simple spikes were learned at the GCA-P cell synapses and inhibitory cells-P cell synapses. Furthermore, the model successfully reproduced the gain- and directional-adaptation of OFR, which was demonstrated by manipulating the velocity and direction of visual motion, respectively. When we assumed that synaptic plasticity could only occur if CF inputs preceded GCA inputs, the ordinary OFR were acquired but neither the gain-adaptation nor the directional adaptation could be reproduced.     

Genetic diversity of HIV type 1 in rural eastern Cameroon

To monitor the presence of genotypic HIV-1 variants circulating in eastern Cameroon, blood samples from 57 HIV-1-infected individuals attending 3 local health centers in the bordering rural villages with Central African Republic (CAR) were collected and analyzed phylogenetically. Out of the 40 HIV-1 strains with positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) profile for both gag and env-C2V3,12 (30.0%) had discordant subtype or CRF designation: 2 subtype B/A (gag/env), 1 B/CRF01, 2 B/CRF02, 1 CRF01/CRF01.A, 2 CRF11/CRF01, 1 CRF13/A, 1 CRF13/CRF01, 1 CRF13/CRF11, and 1 G/U (unclassified). Twenty-eight strains (70.0%) had concordant subtypes or CRF designation between gag and env: 27 subtype A and 1 F2. Out of the remaining 17HIV-1 strains negative for PCR with the env-C2V3 primers used, 10 (58.8%) had discordant subtype or CRF, and 7 (41.2%) had concordant one based on gag/pol/env-gp41 analysis. Altogether, a high proportion (22/57, 38.6%) of the isolates were found to be recombinant strains. In addition, an emergence of new forms of HIV-1 strains, such as subtype B/A (gag/env), B/CRF01 and B/CRF02, was identified. The epidemiologic pattern of HIV-1 in eastern Cameroon, relatively low and high prevalence of CRF02 and CRF11, respectively, was more closely related to those of CAR and Chad than that of other regions of Cameroon, where CRF02 is the most predominant HIV-1 strain. These findings strongly suggest that this part of Cameroon is a potential hotspot of HIV-1 recombination, with a likelihood of an active generation of new forms of HIV-1 variants, though epidemiologic significance of new HIV-1 forms is unknown.     

Ontogeny of NADPH-diaphorase in rat forebrain and midbrain

 This study characterizes the developmental expression of NADPH-diaphorase from embryo to adulthood in the forebrain, midbrain and cerebellum of rat brain via histochemical staining. On embryonic day 12 no neurons stained. Labeling was observed in certain nuclei from E15 through the postnatal period to adulthood. Labeling in neurons increased or maintained a constant level with increased age. The embryo demonstrated substantial labeling in neurons of the caudate putamen, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, preoptic area, lateral hypothalamic area, paraventricular thalamic nucleus, ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus, magnocellular nucleus posterior commissure, and periaqueductal central gray. Additional neuronal labeling was observed postnatally in the olfactory bulb, cerebral cortex, amygdala, various nuclei of the thalamus, interpeduncular nucleus, linear nucleus of the raphe, pretectal area and superior colliculus. In the cerebellum, labeling appeared only after P14 in cells of the molecular cell layer and granular cell layer. The sizes of labeled neurons developed significantly from P4 to P14 in several nuclei. The distinctive temporal and spatial expression pattern of NADPH-diaphorase implies that the NO/cGMP system may play an important role in physiological and developmental functions. Accepted: 8 September 1997